Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 24) – Kristel Macrohon added two bronze medals to end the Philippines’ campaign in the 2021 Asian Weightlifting Championships held Thursday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Macrohon lifted a total of 225 kgs for the bronze medal finish, behind gold medalist Zhang Wangli of China (263 kgs) and silver medalist Kim Suhyeon of South Korea (244 kgs).
The 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist missed a podium finish in snatch by a solitary kilogram to South Korea’s Kang Yeounghee, 99-100, despite acing the 90, 95, and 99 kg lifts in her three attempts.
In the clean and jerk event, Macrohon cleared the 120 and 126 kg lifts in her first and third try. She hurdled the 125 kg lift in her second attempt but judges ruled it as a foul and the Philippine team’s challenge to the ruling was denied.
On Friday, Cebuano weightlifter John Dexter Tabique finished sixth in the men’s 96kg final.
The Philippines won a total of two golds, six silvers, and three bronze medals in the Asian weightlifting tournament.
The two golds are courtesy of 17-year-old Vanessa Sarno, who also won a silver in the women’s 71kg division. Mary Flor Diaz contributed three silvers in the women’s 45kg category, while Elreen Ando raked in two silvers and one bronze in the women’s 64kg division.
2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz formalized her entry to the Tokyo Olympics, her fourth straight Olympic outing, after competing in the women’s 55kg final. She placed fourth overall in the event.
Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas President Monico Puentevella earlier told CNN Philippines the medalists have to wait for the final world rankings to determine whether they will make the cut for the Tokyo Olympics.
“It’s now up to IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) to determine if they make Top 8 or not,” Puentevella said.
